Heart too Soft, Aka Red Dates Stuffed with Sweet Glutinous Rice Balls

KATHY: The first time I had xīn tài ruăn, it was in Shanghai, during a twenty-course, banquet-style meal. Go to a nice, traditional Shanghainese restaurant and sit in one of their private rooms, and you will be treated to one of these elaborate dinners—you start with six to eight little cold dishes, then six to eight hot dishes, ranging from steamed, braised, stir-fried, and deep-fried, and end with soup, dim sum (diăn xīn), and dessert. When I heard the name of the dish, I